Molecular Detection and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Respiratory Pathogens in Patients at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi, Bauchi State, Nigeria

Microbial coinfections are a major health concern around the world. With the increasing incidence of tuberculosis, diagnosing and treating the disease has become more difficult and time-consuming. This study was conducted in Bauchi to test individuals with coinfections and detect respiratory tract fungal and bacterial pathogens. Sputum samples, totaling 253 that were positive or negative for tuberculosis using the GeneXpert were used. The sputum samples were further analyzed using microbiological standard protocols, including culture, Gram-staining, and biochemical tests. The isolated pathogens were subjected to genomic DNA extraction using Zymo research quick-DNA fungal/bacterial miniprep kit. PCR amplification was carried out using universal primers that targeted 16S rRNA. The PCR products were purified and sent for sequencing, and the sequence results were checked on BLAST at NCBI. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using the Maximum Likelihood method in the MEGA 11 tool. All bacterial isolates were tested against antibacterial and antifungal agents to determine their resistance profiles. The study showed that the overall prevalence of tuberculosis was 6%, with the highest rate being observed in females (3.8%) and the lowest in males (2.8%). Among the isolated bacteria, K. pneumoniae was the most prevalent (35%) while Pseudomonas aeroginosa was the least prevalent (2%). Candida albicans was the most isolated fungus (31%) while Cryptococcus spp was the least commonly isolated fungus (4%). Ceftazidime and Meropenem were the most effective antibiotics for bacterial isolates (100% sensitivity), followed by Azithromycin (70%). However, Ciprofloxacin and Azitreonam (80% each) were highly resisted, followed by Gentamicin and Ceftriaxone (50%) and Ofloxacin (30%). The study estimated that 42.6% of male patients and 57.4% of female patients had bacterial co-infections with TB. Logistic regression analysis performed during the study revealed a significant association (χ2= 5.40, P=0.0455) between the prevalence of the pulmonary bacterial isolation rate and the gender of the patients. It would be helpful to investigate the occurrence of suspected co-infections alongside tuberculosis and analyze the molecular traits of the pathogens involved. Such research could aid in the use of molecular detection to diagnose these microbial infections in individuals. By determining the antimicrobial profile, physicians will be able to diagnose and treat these infections more accurately.